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Estate Administration

Rowlinsons team has years of experience in Estate Administration. Our dedicated solicitors are on your side and by your side to ensure that you receive competent and effective legal advice.

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  • Estate Administration Specialists
  • Law Society Excellence Award Winners
  • STEP Qualified Professionals

Administration of Estates Solicitors

In 2018 Rowlinsons won the Law Society Excellence award for ‘Excellence in Private Practice’ and were highly commended in the British Wills & Probate awards. These achievements reflect the high quality advice and service which our Private Client Department provides.

Several members of the Private Client team are members of STEP, which is the global professional association for Solicitors who specialise in family inheritance and succession planning. Members of STEP are highly trained and considered to be specialists in this complex area of law.

We understand that the future can often seem uncertain, but there are things you can do now to give you peace of mind and ensure that your family is financially protected.

Our Estate Administration Solicitors have a vast amount of knowledge when it comes to the complex questions surrounding your property, assets and financial affairs. Moving at a pace that suits you, we can help you plan for the future and are able to deal with all aspects of Wills and Estate Planning. When someone close to you has died we can also assist the Personal Representatives with their estate administration and ‘obtain probate’.

To make an appointment please call 01928 617 055 or click here for a call back. Home or hospital visits may be arranged on request within the local area.

What is Estate Administration?

Estate Administration is the process of settling a person’s legal responsibilities and tax liabilities after they have died. It also involves the distribution of assets belonging to the person’s estate. Distribution of the estate’s assets is carried out by following the instructions made in the person’s will, or, where no will is left, is decided by the court and governed by the Rules of Intestacy.

These processes may sound straightforward but can often be complex, and unsurprisingly, we generally find they are the last thing you or grieving family members want to be dealing with when someone close has been lost.

Our Estate Administration Solicitors can help.

If you are coming to terms with the loss of a partner, relative or friend and are now looking for support and guidance to help settle their affairs, our Estate Administration Solicitors can provide all the help and legal expertise you need.  We can ease the burden on you at an emotional and distressing time, by handling the administration of the deceased’s estate with professionalism, sensitivity, compassion, and a thorough understanding of the law.

Probate

Probate could be required when someone passes away. The ‘grant of probate’, officially referred to as the ‘grant of representation’ in England and Wales, is required when the deceased’s estate is worth more than £5,000 in value. Our team can assist with all aspects of the estate administration including closing Bank or Building Society accounts, transferring or selling land or residential property, and ultimately distributing the assets to the beneficiaries of the estate.

 

  • Donna Eland
      • 01928 736671
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  • Gemma Kelly
      • 01928 736637
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  • Josie Jones
      • 01928 249 763
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  • Katie Roberts
      • 01928 736166
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  • Laura Goldsmith
      • 01928 736157
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  • Megan Chamorro Moris (Renshaw)
      • 01928 736152
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  • Peter Gausden
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  • Sarah Green
      • 01928 736151
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What do Estate Administration Solicitors do?

Every estate is different, but there are stages of the estate administration process which are required in most cases. These steps are designed to identify, quantify, and distribute the value of the estate, including any taxes or debts.

If the Will contains a Nil Rate Band Discretionary Trust, we will write to all trustees. Our team will then work on trusts within the will, property transfers and deal with any other legal requirements, like statutory declarations or dealing with Cessate Grants. On finalising the various settlements surrounding the administration of a person’s estate. We will produce accounts for the estate, before distributing them to Executors and Beneficiaries.

We will produce full and final estate accounts and be on hand to you and all the beneficiaries.

Our Estate Administration Solicitors will personally guide you through this process. We can comprehensively organise the entire administration of the estate, or we can help with individual aspects of the Estate Administration process. We will always make time to answer questions you may have and keep you updated throughout the process.

What should I do following the death of a family member?

Local councils, HMRC, the Department for Work and Pensions, and where necessary; creditors of the deceased, and financial institutions with whom the deceased had accounts, must all be identified and contacted, informing them of the person’s death.

On your instruction, we will let these different bodies and institutions know that we are representing you

Our tax team will prepare the relevant tax forms and make applications for the grant of probate on your behalf. We can do this in our name, thus bearing the responsibility and liabilities surrounding the administration of the estate.

What happens to the finances of a loved one after death?

Having identified all bank accounts and any other investments and financial institutions with whom the deceased held accounts, we will request closing valuations from all parties.

We will liaise with executors to discuss valuations, contents and instructions made in the will, and thus arrive at decisions on whether accounts need to be closed or transferred into the name of one or more of the beneficiaries.

We must also send the Grant of Probate to the banks, mortgage companies and other financial institutions

We will organise the sale of any shares and assets within the UK and overseas. If there are assets to be transferred to beneficiaries, we organise it.

Any debts will be settled where enough funds exist within the estate to do so. Our Private client and Commercial teams boast tax specialists for individuals and specialist corporate tax lawyers. Whatever the make-up of the estate. We have the expertise to manage and mitigate tax liabilities wherever they occur.

We will also clarify and confirm the final position for the individual’s estate on Inheritance Tax and secure ‘clearance’ from HMRC.

We can often reclaim overpaid inheritance taxes should there be an opportunity to do so.

What happens to property after the death of the owner?

Often, the family home is the most valuable part of an estate, both from an emotional and financial perspective., but we often deal with estates that contain residential property portfolios or even commercial property assets.

As a full-service law firm, Rowlinsons’s breadth of expertise means we can provide additional legal services surrounding the sale of a property whether freehold or leasehold, residential or commercial.

We provide a comprehensive service surrounding property matters in the administration of an estate.

How do Estate Administration Solicitors deal with disputes?

The estate administration process can lead to disputes and arguments between family members. On occasion, a will may not seem to carry instruction on the division of assets that were expected and perhaps were openly discussed by the deceased’s during their final years.

Where no will is left and the deceased may have a complex family history, those that depended on income from the deceased while still alive, may, upon their death, find themselves in financial difficulty.

There can be all sorts of reasons why wills are challenged or disputed. Disputes surrounding probate are known as contentious probate. If disputes arise, whatever your position, you can have confidence that in choosing Rowlinsons, you will have a renowned and tenacious team protecting your interests and fighting your corner.

Who can Estate Administration Solicitors help?

Dealing with the administration of estate and assets of a loved one after their passing is a complex issue that may involve many parties and entities.

We offer a range of funding options and we can offer fixed fees across the full spectrum of Estate Planning and Administration services, and support all parties involved in the estate administration process. We help:

  • • Family members
  • • Executors and administrators
  • • Beneficiaries
  • • Business owners
  • • Landowners
  • • HNW Individuals & Families
  • • Charities

Whatever connection you had to the person whose estate is being divided, we can provide you with expert legal advice to ensure your best interests are protected.

What is the difference between Estate Administration and Probate?

Probate is often mistaken for all the tasks to be completed following someone’s death, but it exclusively refers to obtaining the grant to enable you to carry out the tasks associated with estate administration.

To sum up, the difference between probate and estate administration, probate is just one part of the wider process of administering someone’s estate. Probate provides you with the legal right to carry out the estate administration, including dealing with property, money, and personal possessions.

Contact our Estate Administration Solicitors

Rowlinsons Solicitors is a specialist law firm in Cheshire with years of experience dealing with all matters relating to Estate Administration. We support clients across Cheshire and the North West from our offices in Frodsham and Runcorn (Sutton Weaver), including individuals in Warrington, Widnes, St Helens, Chester, and Northwich.

We always aim to achieve amicable resolutions to all disputes regarding Estate Administration. However, our Personal Solicitors are experienced professionals, with accreditations in many areas of the law, and can support you through litigation if necessary.

As a specialist firm of Solicitors in Cheshire, we offer expert legal advice to clients across England and Wales. Contact us today to find out more about our Estate Administration services.

Call us today for an initial no obligation call or click here for a call back. We also have meeting facilities in North Wales for Family Law clients.